The Android system comes with great advantages for its users, as the OS is always opened for changes and improvements. The best is that you can easily customize and optimize the performances of your Android device for improving the speeds, upgrading the battery life or even for replacing the stock firmware with a custom and unofficial one. But in order to do so, you first have to deal with some extra operations that will provide access to the internal system of your smartphone or tablet. As you will see, for each task using the recovery image will be required; that’s why during this general tutorial I will show you how to easily and manually enter recovery mode on rooted and locked Android handsets.

All the Android smartphones and tablets are having a stock recovery image, pre-installed on their systems. The stock recovery can be used for numerous operations such as installing apps from the SD card, backup the data, perform maintenance procedures and so on. But, when dealing with unofficial methods, such as installing a custom ROM or a custom kernel, the stock recovery is useless. In that case you will have to replace the stock recovery with a custom one, an operation that usually requires root access (not always though).

The custom recovery images are bringing more features and options that can be used by the Android users who are trying to tweak their handsets. So, these tools are useful only if you want to perform complex operations on your phone / tablet, else you will replace the stock recovery without any purpose. As mentioned a custom recovery must be used when trying to update with beta, unofficial or custom ROMs, or when installing custom kernels – after that you can overclock / underclock your smartphone or tablet for improving the speeds or for upgrading the battery life.

The most used Android custom recovery images are CWM and TWRP recovery, the last one being the touch version of the first tool. There are many other recovery apps that can be installed on the Android system, but I am recommending you the mentioned tools.

As mentioned above, when trying to flash a custom recovery, root access might be required. In that case, first unlock your smartphone / tablet and then install the app and finally return here and learn how to boot your Android device intro recovery mode. Be aware though as by rooting the warranty will get void and for restoring the same you will have to downgrade to stock firmware, or to update with an official release of the Android software.

Now this guide is compatible with both rooted and locked Android smartphones or tablets, which means that you can learn how to enter recovery mode without dealing with further problems. This method will work on almost all the Android devices out there so the tutorial is a universal operation. So whether you need to enter the stock recovery or the custom recovery (CWM or TWRP recovery) use the steps from below and learn how to do the same.

Usually, for booting into recovery, you need to press a combination of buttons on your handset. First you have to turn off your device, wait a few seconds and then press power and volume up buttons at the same time for a few seconds. The recovery mode should be displayed. But, if that isn’t working for you, follow the guidelines from below:

Perfect, the tutorial has been completed. Now you know how to enter recovery mode on rooted and locked Android devices. So, go ahead and use the recovery menu for making Nandroid backups, for installing custom ROMs firmware or for making other complex and powerful operations. If you need help, or if you have something to share with us or with other users, don’t hesitate and use the comments field from below. We will then assist you as soon as possible.